Russian forecaster sees November weather warmer than usual
Category: Grains
(Reuters) – Temperatures will be higher than usual in Russia during November, Russia’s state forecaster said on Thursday, putting pressure on the winter grains crop.
Weather patterns remain the core factor for the Black Sea region countries – Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan – which normally produce about 10 percent of the world’s wheat but whose grain harvest is expected to drop this year by 27 percent after drought.
All key grain regions, including Russia’s South, Urals, Siberia and Volga, will see temperatures above normal levels in November, a map produced by the State Hydrometeorology Agency showed.
An average level of precipitation is likely in all key regions, while parts of the Volga and Urals regions and part of Kazakhstan will see a shortage of rain.
Russia’s government is trying to cope with rising domestic prices, while at the same time dry weather is causing concern for winter grain crops in some parts of Russia’s South.
Russia, historically the world’s number three wheat exporter by volume, plans to sow 16.82 million hectares of winter grains for its 2013 crop, including 5.51 million hectares planned in the southern region.
(Reporting by Polina Devitt; Editing by David Holmes)
